Falling for Ruka
by Sal67548
Summary: Akatsuki has been in love with Ruka since they were very young, although she is supposedly unaware of this. Every love has a story, and every story has a beginning. This is my version of how it all began.
1. Prologue: Akatsuki

_**Hi there :) So...I have another fanfic that is in the making, one of Zero and Yuki. So I just feel the need to explain why I am starting another one when my first is still unfinished. Basically, I lately have been re-watching the Vampire Knight episodes and I see things I hadn't noticed the first time through, such as the moments between Akatsuki and Ruka. There is such a beautiful story underneath it all, and I found myself wanting to tell it. So don't worry if you were, I am still planning to continue A Heart to Hold, and soon, but at this particular moment, I am feeling this story, so I'm going with it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy :)**_

_**I do not own Vampire Knight or any of the characters involved.**_

She was my first memory.

Of course, at the time I didn't realize it. One never knows what the mind will choose to preserve, fickle thing that a mind can be. But somehow we have a way of remembering either the most important or the least important things. I may never know which one is the reason I subconsciously chose this moment to keep locked away in my heart, but all the same, I did.

_I must have been barely over four years old. My parents had dressed me up for yet another fancy gathering of aristocrats. They were the same each time. We would go to some mansion, greet other aristocrats with their children, eat very little even though there was a ridiculously abundant amount of food, and pretend to be the perfect family. _

_ Not that we weren't. I was the only child of an extremely wealthy aristocratic family. My father was the wealthy owner of many business ventures and my mother was a beautiful, poised woman who was an exceptional mother. I had never known hardships, and I had certainly never known suffering. But living a sheltered life, one without pain, can only last so long. _

_ Then, Ruka stepped into my life, quite literally. Wearing an emerald-colored velvet dress that seemed to pool at her feet, she conducted herself with such grace, even at the young age of five. Chin to the sky, she stopped and faced my family as hers did the same. Her eyes focused on me._

_ "Akatsuki, this is the Souen family, including their daughter Ruka Souen. She is around your age," my mother explained to me._

_ "Pleased to meet you," I said, just as I had been trained to do practically from birth. I reached out to take her hand and kiss it, noting the way she wrinkled her nose at me. _

_ "Yes, a pleasure," she said, sounding less than pleased. Her voice had not been what I was expecting. It was more deep and rich than most girls her age, but somehow it suited her. _

_ As our parents continued conversing, having been satisfied by our polite, but meaningless exchange, we looked away from each other, not wanting to make eye contact. _

_ I felt a tug at my shoulder. Turning around, I looked to see my cousin Hanabusa, smiling playfully at me. Though I know there must have been a time that I had first met him as well, I could never remember it. We had simply just been best friends as far back as I could remember._

_ "Come on Akatsuki, let's go play!" he said, tugging at my sleeve again. Looking up at my parents for permission, I waited silently for their consent. As soon as my mother nodded at me, I was ready to bound off with my cousin, but then I caught sight of Ruka, watching us and looking like she would give anything to be free from the constraints of high-class behavior. _

_ Cautiously, I approached the Souen's and politely said, "Lord and Lady Souen, may I inquire as to if your lovely daughter can accompany us?" just as I had been taught. Any vampire who was an aristocrat or higher was referred to as Lord or Lady, and a Pureblood could be addressed as Prince or Princess. _

_ Ruka looked at me, a question in her eyes. As her parents smiled at my impeccable manners, nodding their approval at their daughter's departure, I offered her my hand. As she took it, I smiled. This was going to be the start of a wonderful friendship._


	2. Chapter 1: Akatsuki

**_Hello :) I just thought I should mention, I have read a lot of fanfics where the vampires seem to basically be human in everything they do. Obviously, since we are human, it is hard to write from the perspective of a creature that is supposedly so different from humans. However, as is mentioned in the series multiple times, vampires are very different from humans, in a lot of ways. So in this fanfic, I am attempting to write about what it would be like to be a vampire child of an aristocratic family. There would be different customs and things I am sure, so I tried to incorporate those. Basically, just bear with me as there may be some unfamiliar things in this fanfic. Enjoy!_**

**_I do not own Vampire Knight or any of the characters involved._**

I was standing in front of the mirror, grimacing at the outfit my mother had picked out for me. Although I was going to Hanabusa's tenth birthday party, I looked like I was headed to a children's theater to play the part of a colorful, clownish puppet in my extravagant clothing. Hoping to at least maintain a little of my pride, I untucked the button down shirt from my pants and unbuttoned it a couple buttons. I ran my hand through my red-blonde hair in an attempt to get rid of the slicked-back hair style my mother had spent twenty minutes perfecting. I didn't really care how I looked, but I knew I would never hear the end of it if my cousin saw me like that.

Walking calmly down the three flights of stairs that led to the main floor of the Kain mansion, I was careful not to trip, which would warrant a long lecture from my mother about being careless. I reached the bottom of the stairs unscathed, but all the same, my mother looked at me for a long moment before sighing.

"Akatsuki, you must tuck in your shirt. You look like a mess. I cannot allow you to visit the Aidou Estate looking like a beggar child," she said, barely containing her frustration. I refrained from telling her there was no way the child of a beggar would have the money to buy these ridiculous clothes, but I did as she said, resolving to un-tuck my shirt again the moment I was out of her sight.

On the short walk over, I granted myself some time to think. From past experiences, I knew that Hanabusa's birthday parties were somewhat of an event. In past years, there had been professional puppeteers performing versions of vampire legends that every young vampire knew by heart, musicians playing orchestral masterpieces, and even a group of world-famous vampire acrobats who had performed a riveting dance depicting the birth of the vampire race. I never knew what to expect when I got the annual invitation.

About a mile away, I heard the orchestral music playing from inside the mansion. I recognized the piece as "Ayumu and Aika: 3rd Movement". It was a piece most vampires were familiar with, a piece depicting the love of Ayumu and Aika, the supposed father and mother of our race. I sighed as the lilting melody of the violins carried on the wind to my ears. It was quite close now. I would arrive in less than five minutes.

As I stepped up to the tall Gothic style gates guarding the Aidou Estate, I had only to nip my thumb, letting a small drop of blood fall on the ground in front of the gates, and they opened wide, allowing me access. This was the typical aristocratic estate guard system to keep out unwanted guests. Though it was a little old-fashioned, it was effective, so most of the high-class families didn't bother to change what had worked for thousands of years.

I walked on the cobblestone driveway up to the mansion, careful not to scare the tall, black horses tied to posts along the drive, some of them with carriages attached at the back. I knew that shortly my own parents would be arriving in our black carriage, pulled by our own dusk-colored horses. I had elected to walk in order to avoid the pain of being officially announced with my family, as was the custom.

I walked up the stone steps leading to the massive doorway and inclined my head to the lethal-looking vampire guards at the doorway. "Young Lord Kain, welcome," one of them said to me warmly as he inclined his own head in greeting. "Young Master Aidou has been rather impatiently awaiting your arrival," he said with a slight smile. Hanabusa was a bright and likable child, and many of the household servants and guards were rather fond of him.

Walking into the large entry way, I took an immediate right, heading diagonally towards a door brimming with light and the sound of the orchestra. Having been to the Aidou Estate frequently, I knew exactly where the large ballroom was, even if I hadn't been able to tell by the level of activity coming from the large room.

Inside, I immediately caught sight of Hanabusa, surrounded by a group of young girls. I rolled my eyes at my cousin. Even at his young age, he was starting to show signs of being a lady's man.

"Akatsuki! Thank goodness you're here. Hanabusa wouldn't shut up earlier that you weren't here yet. What took you so long anyway?" said a voice behind me.

"Good evening to you too, Ruka," I said teasingly, smirking at her complete disregard for politeness, though we almost never spoke formally to each other. She and Hanabusa were my constant companions and playmates, and the three of us had grown exceptionally close over the years.

Shooting me a warning look, she began to walk in the direction of Hanabusa. I shook my head, smiling to myself. She could be so uptight sometimes.

About twenty feet from the crowd of girls surrounding my cousin, I was spotted. A bright smile lit up his face and he pranced over to throw his arms around me.

"I thought you had decided not to come!" he said dramatically. I heard a feminine sigh beside me.

"Right, like Akatsuki wouldn't show up to your birthday party. You are such a moron sometimes," Ruka shot at him, crossing her arms. He crossed his own and his blonde eyebrows slowly descended upon his sapphire eyes.

Just he was about to open his mouth to say some smart-ass retort, I stepped between them, my own arms crossed, and said, "Guys. Relax," though they glared at each other a moment longer, neither continued the ridiculous argument.

"Aidou, dance with us!" I heard a chorus of girls squeal behind us. I had all but forgotten the crowd of girls was there. Winking at Ruka and me, he turned to them, saying, "Forgive me ladies, I was momentarily distracted, but you now have my full attention. Let the dancing begin!" I rolled my eyes again.

"Well, wanna dance?" I asked Ruka, turning to face her. Crossing her arms, she looked down at my out-stretched hand with a frown. Rolling my eyes yet again, I grasped her hand, saying, "Come on, you know our parents will have something to say about it if they don't see us joining in the revelry," Sighing in defeat, she barely had time to gather herself before I twirled her into me, using the hand that was still grasping hers.

For the first time that night, I really looked at her. She looked every bit like an aristocratic lady should. Her chestnut hair was up in an elegant, sweeping hairstyle that must have taken hours to perfect, and she had even worn makeup, blush to brighten her naturally pale cheeks and eye makeup that made her chocolate eyes stand out against her alabaster and rose skin. A crystal necklace hung around her neck, dipping almost to the neckline of her plum colored ball gown, which flared out at the hips. I couldn't see her shoes, but I knew she must be wearing high heels since she appeared to be only a couple inches shorter than me as we danced.

"What?" she said, bringing me back to the present. Confused, I quirked one eyebrow at her, asking a silent question. She sighed.

"You were staring at me like you've never seen me before," she said, raising her own eyebrows. I laughed, brushing it off. "Have you forgotten that about every other week we are dragged to these night parties? Not to mention that we are together most of the time that remains anyway," I reminded her. She sniffed, the lady-like version of a snort of laughter.

The silence of the orchestra served to grab everyone's attention as everyone turned to the entry way. At the top of the stairs, a boy, barely older than us, stood. His long ebony hair hung around his face, and sad, mahogany eyes looked out at us. I knew this boy. He was Lord Kaname, the last remaining member of the Pureblood Kuran bloodline. I had met him once before, though unofficially. I had been playing outside with Ruka and Hanabusa when we were about six, and Lord Kaname had come by the Aidou Estate unexpectedly to talk to Hanabusa. Since then, I hadn't seen him, but like every vampire aristocrat, I knew the tragedy that had recently befallen him. His parents had committed a double suicide last year, leaving him an orphan. It had been devastating news for vampires everywhere.

Beside me, Ruka sighed dreamily. I rolled my eyes. Girls were so strange. Not wanting to stick around for all of the inevitable introductions and chatter, I grabbed Ruka's hand, saying, "Let's go outside." She surprised me by not arguing with me and instead following me to the back door of the ballroom which lead to the outside of the Aidou Estate and the vast vineyards that the property contained.

When we got outside, we stopped, in awe of the almost full moon above us. Ruka was the first to speak. "Why is it that we always have to have these events indoors when it's so beautiful out here?" she asked thoughtfully.

I didn't answer her, but instead started moving forward again, eager to keep moving. However, I had barely taken a step when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Oh no you don't! You didn't think I would let you just walk away and leave me in there alone, did you?!" Hanabusa said angrily from behind me. "Besides, we shouldn't be out here. You know about the Headless Hunter, don't you?" he said, a sly look on his face.

I was about to tell him that was ridiculous when Ruka turned to him, chocolate eyes wide, and said, "What's the Headless Hunter?" She could be so naïve.

Delighted that someone had taken the bait, Hanabusa went into story mode, his arms and hands moving around in odd gestures. Crossing my arms, I listened skeptically.

"Well, the legend goes that long ago, in this very vineyard, a vampire hunter hid, waiting for a young Lady Aidou to appear so he could kill her. Not knowing this, the young Lady came into the orchard, looking for her cat, who had disappeared earlier that evening. As the hunter was about to pounce on the young Mistress, her father swooped in, rescuing the young Lady by beheading the hunter. However, according to the legend…he still roams this vineyard, headless, in search of a young Mistress. And then…HE POUNCES!" Hanabusa yelled, jumping at Ruka with outstretched arms, and scaring the girl, who had been drawn into his lies with wide eyes.

With a terrified scream, she jumped, putting her arms around me and burying her face in my chest. Patting her on the back to comfort her, I turned to Hanabusa, who was doubled over laughing, and glared at him.

"Was that really necessary? You scared Ruka half to death," I said to him. "And, if you're gonna try to scare someone, you should at least make up a legend that isn't stupid."

Still laughing, he turned, heading back to the entrance to the ballroom. "Come on guys, I can't be absent from my own party!" He ran ahead of us.

"Come on Ruka, let's go back inside," I said, leading her with my arm. Though Ruka was a year older than my cousin and I, a lot of times I felt like I was the most mature, constantly breaking up their petty arguments and trying to make them both happy.

Crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air, she replied, "You know, I wasn't really scared Akatsuki. I was just humoring him."

Smiling and shaking my head at her need to be independent, I followed her back to the ballroom, wondering what she would do if I wasn't around.


	3. Chapter 2: Akatsuki

**Sorry this has taken me so long...I had finals at my university and then like a week into summer I dislocated my ankle on a trampoline. I've pretty much been too much in pain to do anything but sleep so this has been pushed to the back burner. Anyways, I'm running into some difficulty with what exactly to write so your feedback is appreciated as always! I do not own Vampire Knight, but some of the characters invented in this story are my creation. **

As we stepped through the back door into the mansion again, I resisted the urge to sigh. I really couldn't stand these social gatherings. So many faces and names I was supposed to know, so many rules to follow.

Out of nowhere an angry-looking woman stormed over to us. Ruka's mother.

"Rukana Souen, where have you been?! Your father and I have been looking everywhere for you. You have no idea how humiliating it was when the Kuran Prince came to greet our family and you weren't there. Shame on you! And what happened to your face? Your mascara is running!" She finished angrily before bringing her porcelain hand delicately up to her forehead. "You are such a disappointment."

I glanced at Ruka when she wasn't looking to see if she was ok. Her head was hung and she was gently sweeping her fingers under her eyes, probably to get rid of the makeup her mother had mentioned. However, she looked remorseful. I watched as she looked into her mother's eyes and softly apologized. Her mother didn't say a word, but grabbed her daughter's hand and tugged, pulling her along.

As they walked away I grimaced. When Ruka's mother used her full name, Rukana, I knew she was in big trouble. Ruka hated her full name, so it was barely ever used. Most didn't even know of it.

Figuring my parents were probably here by now, I glanced around the large room, looking for them. I finally saw my mother, her red-blonde hair in gentle curls cascading down her back, in an emerald dress standing alongside my father, his black hair combed over to the side, wearing his usual tuxedo. His cinnamon eyes, the same color as mine, quickly found me as I started to head towards them.

As I came to stand beside them, my mother took my shoulders, turning me around to face whoever it was they were about to talk to. As I moved I found myself face to face with Kaname Kuran, the young Prince.

"Greetings, Lord and Lady Kain, and young Lord Kain. It is a pleasure to see you," he spoke calmly, honoring our family by greeting us first. My father was the first to speak.

"Prince Kuran—" my father started, only to be cut off gently by the young Prince. "Please, call me Lord Kaname," he corrected. My parents, though I could tell they were surprised, complied with his wish.

"Very well Lord Kaname. It is our pleasure to see you," said my mother smoothly, bowing to him as she spoke. He smiled, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, and began to walk again. When he was preoccupied with another family, my mother and father turned to each other, discussing the Kuran Prince.

"Strange that he would want to be addressed so familiarly. Not only are we to call him Lord instead of Prince, but by his first name," my father said quietly, though I was sure that if the Prince weren't preoccupied he would have heard my father for sure. Seeming to notice that I was still standing there, my mother turned to me.

"Akatsuki, you are free to go and find your cousin again. Be at the carriage at 4:00 a.m., we wish to avoid the sunrise," she said, freeing me once again. Nodding, I turned and slowly headed in the direction of Hanabusa and the mob of young girls that seemed to constantly accompany him.


	4. Chapter 3: Ruka

I tried to slow my breathing. My heart was beating wildly at the sight of the Kuran Prince, Lord Kaname he had asked us to call him, who was standing in front of me.

He was the most beautiful and elegant being I had ever seen. His hair hung in loose ebony waves around his perfect face, and his mahogany eyes stared deeply and truly into my chocolate ones. I felt as though he could see through me to my soul. Composing myself, I spoke to him.

"Lord Kaname…I am deeply sorry about not being present earlier when you were greeting my family. Please forgive my insolence," I managed to say without stuttering. He smiled at me, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"You are forgiven, young Lady Souen," he said, his voice melodic and perfect. He began to turn away, but before he had the chance, I impulsively grabbed his hand, catching his attention and the attention of most of the other vampires present as a collective gasp seemed to go through the crowd gathered. My cheeks heated and I couldn't look him in the eyes as I spoke softly and reservedly to him.

"I…forgive me, once again, Lord Kaname. I just…wanted to thank you for your forgiveness…and tell you that if you wish…you may address me as Ruka," I said, practically trembling. To my utter disbelief, he again smiled, completely disregarding my atrocious behavior and smiling once again.

"It will be my pleasure, Ruka," he said before finally turning and walking away. I stared wide-eyed after him, shaking but pleased. I loved the way he had said my name.

My dreamy thoughts were disrupted by my mother's lips close to my ear, whispering so quietly that only I could have possibly heard her. "When we arrive at home, you will be severely punished. Your behavior tonight has been inexcusable," she said darkly. Resisting the urge to cringe, I looked her in the eye and said, "Yes mother," in my most respectful voice.

"If I'm not mistaken, you should be dancing with me, young Lady Souen," said a voice behind me that I instantly recognized as Hanabusa's. Though we did seem to fight constantly, in that moment I was so happy to hear my cousin that I could've kissed him. My parents couldn't possibly keep me from Hanabusa Aidou, the star of the show tonight. Giving in with a sigh, my parents waved me off with a death glare from my mother in my direction, telling me to be back at the carriage at 2:30 a.m. sharp.

Hanabusa grabbed my hand and swung me onto the dance floor, smirking at my surprised expression. "What, you thought I was joking? I was serious about the dancing. You are the only girl who hadn't begged to dance with me yet. I knew you couldn't resist me for long," he said, still smirking at my now enraged expression.

"Right, like I would ever beg to dance with you!" I said angrily, trying to pull free from him. He gently released me. As annoying as he could be, he wouldn't hold me against my will.

"I suppose you'd rather dance with Lord Kaname, right Ruka? That was pretty embarrassing, that stunt you pulled back there," he said, and to my horror, his voice held not a hint of jesting.

"I…well…" I stuttered, subconsciously taking a couple steps back from him. I didn't get very far though, before I collided with something very warm, which gave a grunt as I ran into it. I turned around to see Akatsuki. Thinking he was about to criticize me as well, since that seemed to be all anyone could ever do with me, I crossed my arms and readied a retort to whatever it was he had to say. However, no criticism ever came.

"Shall we get something to drink, Ruka, Hanabusa?" he asked calmly, looking at us in turn. Looking at him a little suspiciously, I nodded. Hanabusa looked away from me with his nose in the air and started sauntering his way to the table with all the drinks consisting mostly of concoctions of alcohol and blood, or fruit juice and blood. Akatsuki motioned for me to go first, not speaking a word the entire time.

**Again, I could use your feedback to help me with my writing. Thanks for reading! I do not own Vampire Knight, but some of the characters invented are my creation.**


	5. Chapter 4: Akatsuki

The next evening, I woke up around 5:00 p.m. I was surprised my mother hadn't woken me up earlier, but we had been out pretty late I supposed. I had finally gotten in my bed around 6:00 a.m. after one of our horses had gone lame halfway to our home, and we had to call a servant to drive one of our cars over to pick us up and walk the lame horse home. I never understood why we didn't all use cars now. As I understood, the hunters and even the humans all seemed to use cars, but vampire aristocrats were a stubborn people, and liked to stick to their old traditions.

I got out of my bed, stretching and peeking outside. Because of the time of year, it wasn't quite dark yet outside. When the sun set, I would head out to Hanabusa's again. Though I knew that my skin was not as sensitive as most vampire nobles, and I would probably be fine in the sun, my mother would not take any chances.

I went into my bathroom to splash some water on my face and change out of my silk sleepwear into some dressy tan pants and a navy blue sweater vest over a long sleeved white button down shirt. I took a quick look in the mirror, running a hand through my messy hair and turning to walk down three flights of stairs to get to the dining room.

To my surprise, when I arrived at the dining room, my parents were still there. Usually if on a rare occasion they let me sleep in, they would be long gone from the dining room, having abandoned it for the more cozy feeling of the large sitting room on the main floor of our mansion. I greeted them, a hint of surprise in my voice, as I wondered why they were still here.

"We woke up late as well. It couldn't be helped, seeing as we got in so late last night. Sit down and have some Shinshū and blood," my mother said as a maid hurried in carrying a pitcher filled with the liquid. It was a mixture half Japanese wine and half human blood that my family favored. Another maid brought roast duck in soon after the first maid left. The meal wasn't my favorite breakfast, but I gratefully took it, knowing that there were probably some out there that didn't have food.

"After breakfast, don't forget that you need to head to Hanabusa's home. You have your music lesson there," my father reminded me. I nodded, though I had forgotten until just a moment ago. This week's lesson was going to be interesting, seeing as I had forgotten to practice my cello yet again.

After eating, I excused myself from the dining table and peeked out the window. Seeing that it was dusk now, I bid my parents farewell and headed out the front doors of our mansion and in the direction of the Aidou Estate once again.

* * *

When I arrived at the mansion, I quickly checked the time of night by looking at the position of the sun, which was just barely peeking out over the horizon. My music teacher probably wasn't here quite yet, and when she arrived, she would most likely start with Hanabusa, who like everything else seemed to be a prodigy at playing the violin, and then move on to Ruka or myself.

When the three of us had been very young, our parents had informed us that just as most children who grew up in aristocratic families, we each needed to learn a musical instrument of our choosing, within reason. I had wanted to learn the guitar, but unfortunately my parents didn't approve because the guitar was originally a human-designed instrument. They wanted us to be poised and graceful, they said, and there was no way to do that with "some silly human instrument". Thus, I had picked the cello because it's deep, soothing tones appealed to me.

I was distracted from my thoughts as a soft sound reached my ears from over the hill near the vineyard. I headed in that direction, realizing that the sound had been there for a while, I just hadn't noticed it. It was singing, I realized.

_Across the sea he fled from her_

_Never looking back_

_As the blood-colored sky rose up behind_

_And filled him with regret_

_Never again she saw her love_

_In either form or face_

_As the blood-colored sky rose up behind_

_She slowly fell from grace_

_The two, forever parted now_

_With only a memory_

_As the blood-colored sky fell down behind_

_To never again be seen_

I had arrived where the music was coming from around the middle of the second-to-last stanza to find Ruka singing softly and rather sweetly while playing her harp. Somehow, it troubled me that she had picked this music. It was an ancient love ballad that was made in the days when Pureblood vampires had taken to biting humans to increase their numbers in battle, and it told the story of a Pureblood who fell in love with a bitten human female. However the story ended tragically when the lovers separated, the Pureblood going mad with regret and the ex-human falling to a level E. It was always said that in those days the sky was the color of blood, reflecting the blood shed during that time. Vampires decided after this that never again would the sky reflect the blood of so many dead.

I moved from my spot behind Ruka to go over to her and she jumped, starting at my presence. She whipped around readying a defense, as she always did. She probably thought I was Hanabusa, but when she turned and saw who it was, the words fell silent on her lips.

"That was beautiful," I said to her, hoping to put her at ease. However, despite my intentions, she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Where's Hanabusa?" she asked me suspiciously, as if this was all a joke on her and we were just toying with her. When she didn't see him, she sighed and visibly relaxed. I would have to have a talk with that idiot cousin of mine about not putting poor Ruka on edge all of the time. I could see that she got enough of that at home.

As if he could sense my negative thoughts towards him, Hanabusa came running over to us. He stopped just short of running into me and immediately began waving his hands around in the air and squealing something about how we were late for the music teacher and she was waiting impatiently at the mansion. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him and tried to help Ruka pack up her harp and bring it to the house.

* * *

I sat back in my seat, relaxing. Hanabusa really was a very talented musician. His lesson piece was the first violin part of a beautiful movement of Mozart's Concerto in G Major. Though it was composed by a human, many vampires admired the work of Mozart, so they used his music from time to time.

I listened to the rolling notes and perfect vibrato coming from my cousin's instrument and sighed in contentment, looking over at Ruka, who was sitting next to me. She was sitting tall with her hands folded together in her lap, just as a lady should, and just as a girl who was barely eleven shouldn't have to all the time. I made up my mind to take her out to do something fun later.

"Young Lord Kain! It is your turn next," said our music teacher. I resisted the urge to groan at my lack of practice and stood up, preparing to retrieve my cello and embarrass myself once again.

**Author's Note: Yes, the child vampires are drinking alcohol mixed with blood. Why? Because as I have said, vampires and humans are very different beings, and I am attempting to capture that. They have different bodies and metabolic systems than a human probably would, and alcohol doesn't affect them as it would a human. So therefore, it would be much more common for a vampire child to partake in alcohol mixtures because it would not be a taboo. Just thought I would clarify :)  
I do not own Vampire Knight but some of the characters in this story are my creation. **


	6. Chapter 5: Ruka

As I packed up my harp, I began to hear my stomach grumble in a very undignified manner. I tried to glance around to make sure that no one had heard the sound and found myself face to face with Hanabusa.

"You hungry?" he asked me, cocking his head like a puppy. I nodded and he smiled, grabbing my hand and leading me over to Akatsuki who was still trying to pack up his cello. He looked at us curiously, his eyes lingering on our linked hands.

"Ruka is hungry, and so am I. Wanna eat something?" Hanabusa asked. Akatsuki looked surprised somehow, but I could not think of why. He looked thoughtful for a minute, and then said, "I suppose I could see if one of the maids would be willing to accompany us into town for dinner. We would have to make sure that our parents were notified and were ok with it but—"

"Or we could just leave," Hanabusa stated slyly, a twinkle in his eyes. I looked to Akatsuki, certain of what he was going to say.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said, his arms crossed in front of him. Hanabusa stuck his tongue out and his nose in the air and began walking.

"Well I'm going, with or without you Akatsuki. Come on Ruka, let's go. We'll have more fun without him anyway," Hanabusa said, beckoning me to come along. On a whim, I decided to follow and disobey for once. I was sick of being a lady. I looked behind me, not knowing that I had been hoping Akatsuki would come until I realized he wasn't. He just stood there, watching us walk away, his mouth a hard line. Fine, if he wanted to stay here alone there was nothing I could do to stop him.

Hanabusa and I continued towards the road, hoping to avoid the gaze of unwanted eyes. I knew we didn't have to worry about Akatsuki telling anyone. He never told anyone if Hanabusa or I did something we weren't supposed to.

Soon enough we made our way into town. With its brick roads and small one story buildings lined up along the street, it had a cozy feel to it. I imagined that during the day it was probably bustling with humans, but at this hour only vampires walked the streets. Unknown to the humans, many of the shopkeepers in this town were in fact vampires who hired humans to work the day time hours for them.

Hanabusa came to a sudden stop right in front of me, causing me to ram into him. He didn't seem to take notice of it and instead asked me, "Do you smell that? It smells heavenly!"

Indeed I did smell it. It smelled like Italian food. Like pizza and pasta and rich sauces. My mouth began to water and I remembered how hungry I was. Without needing spoken agreement, we headed towards the open door.

"Table for two, please," Hanabusa said, perfectly mannered as he usually was in public. We were lead around a corner and seated in a quiet and dimly lit section of the restaurant.

"This is so nice, I never get to eat at restaurants," I told Hanabusa, who was sitting across from me. He didn't answer, but instead looked at me thoughtfully.

"May I ask you something, Ruka?" he said, oddly formal for how well we knew each other. I was so surprised by this that I just nodded, curious what he could possibly want to ask me.

"Your mother…does she allow you to eat until you're full?" he asked, his icy eyes staring right at me, perhaps trying to gauge my reaction. The question surprised me so much that my own eyes snapped up to meet his.

"What kind of a question is that?" I said, adding the correct amount of skepticism into my voice.

"The kind that I would like a real answer to," he stated.

"Why do you want to know anyway Hanabusa?" I asked, thoroughly confused at the way he was acting. I almost preferred rude and irritating Hanabusa to this cold, serious version that seemed to see right through me. By way of an answer, he shrugged, turning towards the waitress who was coming towards out table.

"Young Lord Aidou!" she almost squealed. "So good to see you again. What can I get for you?" she asked, completely ignoring my presence.

"Good evening Tara. And I think you mean to ask Ruka what she wants. The lady always orders first," he said with a smile and a wink at the young waitress. She turned to me, a look of apology on her face.

"So sorry, young mistress. I wasn't thinking. What can I get for you?" she asked me. I hadn't looked at the menu, so I ordered what I had smelled from outside, the chicken Florentine.

"And to drink?" she inquired.

"I'll have blood with your finest wine."

"I'll have the same as her," Hanabusa said from across the table. The waitress nodded and with a quick smile, she was off in the direction of the kitchen. Before I had time to blink Hanabusa was right beside me, holding his hand out. I looked up at him, wondering what on Earth he was doing now.

"Let's dance. Can't you hear the music?" he asked me. Now that he mentioned it, I did hear it. It was just a slight sound in the background.

"If you think I want to dance with you, you must be crazy," I said, crossing my arms in front of me. I should have known that resistance was futile, but I was surprised when he pulled me up by the elbows and took my hands leading me backwards so we could dance between the booths.

Looking into his eyes, I found myself thinking that it was strange, the way he was acting. It seemed almost…affectionate? Romantic? I didn't know exactly what. Not that it was strange within noble families for cousins to get married, but still it was something I had never thought about with Hanabusa. He appeared to be thinking in a different direction.

"You know why I wanted to know?" he asked me out of the blue, his eyes trained on me again.

"Know what?" I asked, confused.

"The answer to the question I asked you earlier."

"Oh…no I don't know. And frankly I don't really care, it was a stupid question," I told him.

"It's because…well, I guess…I know I have a a lot already, but—" he appeared to suddenly be embarrassed. I could not even guess what he was thinking.

"Spit it out Hanabusa."

"I know I have a lot of sisters already, but I guess I've always sort of thought of you as if you were one of them. So when Akatsuki said he was worried about you—" he started, but I interrupted him.

"Wait…that's why you were worried? Because Akatsuki was?" I said, trying not to laugh. "Akatsuki worries about everyone and everything all the time. Why would you decide to suddenly be a worry wart like him?"

"Because I wanted to make sure everything was ok. There's no harm in checking, after all," he told me, still looking a little embarrassed. I almost laughed at his expression.

Just then the waitress came back carrying our food and looked strangely at us. I realized that although we had stopped moving, we were still in the dancing position. Red faced, both of us walked quickly back to our seats.

As we ate in silence I had time to think. It was amazing how relieved I felt when Hanabusa had told me he felt about me like he did his sisters. I had always thought of him as more of a brother and it was good to know he thought the same.

When our food was finished, the waitress came back and asked if Hanabusa would be paying for my meal as well tonight. He looked at her, clearly appalled.

"Now why would I pay for _her_? She can buy her own food," he said crossing his arms. I crossed mine too and stuck my nose in the air, though secretly I was relieved to have my cousin and all of his antics back.

We paid separately at the insistence of Hanabusa, using the cash our parents had given us earlier in the week and walked outside, heading in the direction of home.


	7. Chapter 6: Akatsuki

It was getting late. I was beginning to worry about Hanabusa and Ruka, that they had somehow gotten into trouble without me. Part of me knew this was ridiculous; they were practically the same age as me so there wouldn't be much that I could do if by chance they were in trouble but I would have felt better being there with them.

There was some small fear taking shape in the back of my mind, and although I tried to ignore the feeling I knew what it was. If anything happened to Ruka…if anything happened to either of them, I would never forgive myself. They were precious to me, some days for reasons I couldn't comprehend. Losing them would be—

Just then, two small figures became visible in the distance. It was about 12 a.m. now, and our parents would soon be expecting us home. It was a relief to see them. I waited, standing under the same old Oak tree that I had been for hours, awaiting their return, my hands in my pockets.

As they neared, I saw Ruka catch sight of me, and her eyes widened, her lips forming a perfect 'O'. Strangely, she blushed scarlet and hung her head. Walking up to me, she looked like there was something she wanted to say. Just then Hanabusa walked up, stretching his arms and yawning loudly.

"Well I am very ready for a hot bath and dessert. Maybe I'll order one of the maids to read me a chapter from father's advanced astrophysics book!" he said with way more enthusiasm than any normal child would have. Ruka looked at him incredulously.

"Well I need to get home as well. I'll be off then," Ruka stated, turning towards her home. I caught up with her in a couple strides.

"I'll walk you home," I said, leaving no room for argument. She seemed to have heard it as well and for once didn't argue with me, but instead nodded.

We walked in silence for awhile. Not the awkward silence, where you don't know what to say, but the companionable silence where you don't need to say anything. The moon was only a tiny crescent in the sky tonight, but I didn't need light to see anyway. My sensitive eyes could easily see the girl standing next to me.

Just barely illuminated in the moon's wan glow, her light chestnut hair looked quite a bit darker. Her skin, however, seemed to stand out pale against the darkness. A small breeze lifted her waist-length hair and it fluttered in the breeze, releasing the scent of honey. She turned to look at me, eyes dark pools or chocolate.

"Akatsuki, why did you wait for us at the oak tree the whole time? You could've gone home, you know," she asked me, eyes unreadable.

"Well…I guess I worry about the two of you," I said, speaking the truth. I had never been good at lying.

"Like Hanabusa worries about me? Like a brother?" she asked, catching me off guard. My eyes snapped up to look at hers without conscious thought as I tried to give her an answer. It was as if the words were stuck in my throat, unable to dislodge themselves. I cleared my throat unnecessarily, wondering what in the world was going on with me.

"Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?" I said, still trying to recover internally from something I didn't understand.

"Just wondering," she said cryptically. Her eyes looked far away for a couple moments before she focused on me again. This time her eyes were serious. I realized she had stopped walking and I slowed to stand in front of her.

"Hanabusa told me that you are worrying about my eating habits. Why would he tell me that?" she inquired, eyebrows raised now, a subtle warning in her eyes.

But I could see right through her. I knew what she was trying to do. Knowing it was the only way she would talk to me, I stood there silently, looking into her eyes. It felt like hours passed as we stared at each other, her eyes stubborn and mine unwavering. Finally, she gave a tiny sigh and broke our eye contact, turning away from me.

"It's not that I don't get enough to eat, it's more that I don't get to eat…as much as I would like," she said quietly. "Mother and father…they say that a lady should never over eat, so I don't. I eat as much as it takes to sustain me, nothing more. Is that so wrong?" by the end her voice had risen and her fists clenched as she whirled to face me. I stood there silently, listening.

"Akatsuki! Answer me!" she yelled, beating her fists against my chest. I let her do it, knowing that this was what she needed. Someone to yell at, to blame for her misfortunes. I would gladly be what she needed.

"All you ever do is stand there silently! Just admit it! Just admit that you think I'm a problem and you wish you didn't have to bother with me!" she said, voice thick with tears as she continued beating my chest. However, this was one thing I couldn't let stand.

"Ruka Souen, you KNOW that isn't true. Don't you ever think that I don't care, or that you're a bother to me. This is not your fault. I believe that your parents are instigating something that could be unhealthy for you and I was concerned about your wellbeing. You can tell me I worry too much or that I worry about the wrong things, but don't ever tell me that I don't care about you. You and Hanabusa, my family…you are all that matters to me," I finished, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her in tightly as she quietly cried into my shirt.

"Akatsuki," she sniffled.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For…well, being my friend. And being concerned for me. Sometimes I think…well, I wonder if…you care more about me than my own parents since they seem to only care about my appearance," she said, trying to laugh it off, but instead, that issued another bout of tears. I simply stood there stroking her hair as she cried. So that's what the root of the tears was. She believed that her parents cared more about her reputation as a Souen than about her.

It was strange hearing Ruka cry. I thought hard, but I could not remember a time before that she had allowed herself to cry in front of anyone. She was such a strong person, always keeping her emotions inside. I held her tight, knowing she didn't shed tears lightly, and wanting her to know that I thought no less of her for it. The same thought kept running through my head: how could someone with such a fragile heart be so strong?

As much as it hurt me to hear her broken cries, I knew this was what she needed. I would ignore the tears threatening to prick at my own eyes for the injustice of this young, fragile girl having to deal with this pain. For this moment I would be what she needed most; I would be her shoulder to cry on.


End file.
